MP's exposure tour in Sri Lanka

NAGPUR: It's always good to have proper preparations before the battle. The Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association has over the years concentrated a lot on preparations of their teams, and it's no wonder all its teams are doing well in BCCI-organised tournaments.
Last year, MP senior team went to Sri Lanka and played some competitive matches against their Development and 'A' sides.The result was clearly evident. MP qualified for the knock-outs in all the formats. They were the team to beat in the Ranji Trophy last year where they surprised big teams to qualify for the quarter-finals. The MP squad will again leave to tour Lanka on Monday, for three matches in each of the formats.
"It's great for the youngsters. I feel they are lucky to have got such facilities and now it's up to them to take advantage. We benefitted a lot last year as some of the international stars like Thisara Perera, Chamara Sliva, Dhammika Prasad and others were playing. The conditions were tough, especially the climate. It was quite humid and it turned out to be a great learning curve for the youngsters. They all did very well in Ranji Trophy. This year, there will be expectations from us and we want to prove that the success we got last year wasn't a flash in the pan," MP coach Mukesh Sahani told TOI on Sunday.
MP will begin their tour with One-dayers, which will be played on July 12, 13, 14 followed by three successive Twenty20s from July 16. The four-day matches will be played between July 20 to August 4. Devendra Bundela will lead the team in four-day matches while Udit Birla will be captain in One-day format.
Last year, MP won all their three four-day matches while losing One-day series 1-2. They squared the Twenty20. "This year we have included six-seven youngsters in the squad. We have to develop the bench strength and what better opportunity for them than to play against some quality Sri Lankan players. Last year, we played against some quality spin bowlers. The wickets too suited the spinners. All in all, it was a good exposure trip," Sahani said.